The Payne County Audubon Society holds free evening programs and workshops on the first Thursday of the month, typically September–December and February–April. Unless advertised otherwise, programs start at 7:00 pm in the Education Center of the Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University:
Our programs run the gamut from scientific presentations (not too technical!) of recent research, photo slide shows of birds from exotic lands, to interactive workshops designed to help take your birding skills to the next level. Exceptions include the September (potluck dinner), December (planning for Christmas Bird Counts), and April (presentations from annual grant recipients) meetings. Programs are free, kid-friendly, and open to the public – you don’t need to be an Audubon member to take part in PCAS activities. The cookies and lemonade are free, too.
Where to go birding in Payne County
A great thing about birding is that you can do it just about anywhere, but it also helps to have some guidance on some local hotspots. The best source for this information is eBird, and if you aren’t eBirding then you’re missing out on some tremendous resources to help you hone your skills and find more birds. It’s free and they won’t spam you!
The team at eBird maps out and provides species lists for locations where sightings have been reported at public hotspots. You can search the hotspots map for Payne County and find a wealth of information. The following screencaps illustrate the locations of color-coded hotspots in our county:
What you might find when you go birding
Approximately 280 different species of birds have been observed in Payne County. Watch this space for an update to our local checklist. In the meantime, eBird is again our friend: Here is a link to a bar graph of species abundance and seasonal occurrence in Payne County, based on submissions to eBird.
